Week #15 (16-22/09/2019)

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An attempt to extinguish forest fires at the Sebangau National Park area in Palangkaraya, Indonesia, on Sept. 14. Forest fires have caused the sky in some regions turn to blood red. | Credit: Willy Kurniawan

AFRICA & THE MIDDLE EAST

Israel can yet to see (18/09) who will be the next prime minister. With 63% of votes counted, the right-wing incumbent Benjamin Netanyahu of Likud Party is just behind that of his centrist main challenger, Benny Gantz from Blue and White party. Israeli media projected neither Gantz nor Netanyahu would be able to form a majority coalition without support from Yisrael Beiteinu party. The party’s leader, Avigdor Lieberman, has said that he would only support a unity government that included Likud and Blue and White. Gantz, however, has ruled out sitting with Likud if it is led by Netanyahu on the basis that the prime minister is facing charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust in connection with three corruption cases, pending a final hearing next month.

Saudi Arabia said (18/09) wreckages and drones prove Iranian involvement in attacks on Abqaiq—run by the Saudi state oil company, Aramco—and the Khurais oilfield on Saturday (14/09). It said 18 drones and seven cruise missiles came from a course that ruled out Yemen as a source. Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels have said they are behind the assaults. Iran, on other hand, has denied any involvement and responded that “If any action takes place against Iran, the action will be faced by Iran’s answer immediately.”

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels threatened (19/09) to attack dozens of targets in the United Arab Emirates, including the cities of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and have claimed strikes that were never confirmed by Emirati authorities. “We announce... that we have dozens of targets in the UAE, among them Abu Dhabi and Dubai, and that they can be targeted at any moment,” Houthi military representative Brigadier Yahya Saree said.

ASIA 

Russia, China, several Central Asian countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan), India, and Pakistan hold the first ever joint-military exercise (19/09) which began in Orenburg, south of the Urals in Russia. The drill known as “Tsentr-2019” (Center-2019) kicked off on Monday (16/09) and aimed to boost cooperation to tackle international terrorism and prevent Islamic extremists from entering Russia through Central Asia. Compared to the previous “Tsentr-2015” which only involved Russia and Kazakhstan with 95,000 troops and fewer than 10,000 units of the military equipment, the 2019 drill will see 15 warships, 600 military aircraft, and around 130,000 soldiers with 20,000 military devices deployed in the fields.  

Though still under construction, Sri Lanka (17/09) has publicly opened the tallest building in South Asia. The 350-meter-tall 17-story Lotus Tower, which costs over USD 100 million, is 80% funded by China under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) scheme and with China National Electronics Import and Export Corporation as the general contractor. Located in Colombo, Lotus Tower comprises a TV tower, a hotel, a telecommunications museum, restaurants, an auditorium, and a mall.

Reported in Reuters (19/09), slash-and-burn clearing of land in Indonesia, often for palm and pulp plantations, has caused the surrounding areas and to the extent of neighboring Malaysia, Singapore, and southern Thailand be shrouded by haze. Similar to the regional haze crisis occurring in 2015, the fires’ impacts are exacerbated by the El Nino weather pattern. Moreover, this year’s fires particularly cause higher widespread of PM2.5 particles, which are known to have a major detrimental impact on health and climate. Indonesia’s Health Ministry data released on Sunday shows acute respiratory infections have affected 11,758 people in Kalimantan Tengah, 15,346 in Riau, and 15,047 in Jambi. 

South Korea is exerting greater efforts to contain African swine fever from spreading across the region. The first case was found near the border of North Korea. As of Thursday (20/09) two cases of the fever infecting pigs have been reported. Although the fever is harmless to humans, it's highly contagious and fatal for pigs as there is no known cure. Meanwhile, the diplomatic issues with North Korea have complicated efforts in preventing the North Korean outbreak from spreading to areas near the border. 

AUSTRALIA & OCEANIA

Christchurch’s Muslim community in New Zealand is still coping (16/09) with the impacts of the terrorist attack occurred six months ago. Experts said the terrorist attack, which took place on March 15, has changed the fabric of the society with initiatives like gun reform, international “Christchurch Call” against hate speech, and the upcoming Royal Investigation Commission creating permanent change. Christchurch terrorist attack victim are determined not to be defined by trauma.

The Māori King, Kiingi Tūheitia Potatau Te Wherowhero VII, said (18/09) that the disputed Ihumātao land must be returned to Māori ownership. Previously the land was seized by the Crown in 1863, and sold to private developer Fletcher Building in 2016, which planned to put housing on the land. Later, two months ago, the land was transformed to a public space after a rally staged by Māori activists, which was joined by thousands of New Zealanders. “We have always said that we are happy to join the discussions on the future of the land at Ihumātao,” New Zealand’s acting prime minister Winston Peters said in a statement. “As we go through the process[es] we are mindful of heritage claims, precedent issues and the commercial interests in the site.”

The government of Australia received criticism (20/09) despite reaching its first balanced budget in a decade. Economists are urging the Government to let go of its surplus obsession and to instead consider the needs of an increasingly struggling economy. PricewaterhouseCoopers’ chief economist Jeremy Thorpe, for instance, said that the surplus should not be seen as an end in and of itself. “Ultimately this is about the welfare of the economy, and the welfare of households and incomes and people's quality of life,” he said. In a similar light, former Liberal leader and economist, John Hewson, argued that the achievement of a balanced budget would not mean much to Australian families struggling to balance their own budgets.

EUROPE

The Prime Minister of Luxembourg Xavier Bettel attacked (16/09) British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and called Brexit “a nightmare”. Johnson—who visited Luxembourg to hold talks with the European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, the European Union’s (EU) chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier, and Bettel—cancelled his press conference due to the noise from the pro-EU protesters, leaving Bettel spoke alone beside an empty podium.  

A study found that only half of the universities in the United Kingdom (U.K.) are ready for no-deal Brexit (16/09). Vice-chancellors are worried about shortages of necessary chemicals and gases for their laboratories and begin to stockpile essential supplies such as food and toilet paper. A no-deal Brexit is also feared to affect student recruitment and research funding in the long-term. Responding to the survey, a government spokesperson said, “This government is committed to making sure Britain is prepared for any circumstances related to Brexit […] we have committed to raise the investment in research and development and maintain the UK’s position as a science superpower in a post-Brexit world.”

The government of Malta was given (20/09) until September 26 by the Council of Europe to start an independent public inquiry into the murder of anti-corruption journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. Galizia was killed when her car was destroyed by a powerful explosive device on October 16, 2017. Three men have been arrested since December 2017, but the motive behind the killing and who ordered it are still yet clear. Despite being a frequent target of Galizia’s writing, Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has offered a €1m reward for any information regarding her killing.

Russia’s 23-year-old actor Pavel Ustinov will be temporarily freed (20/09) following public backlash. Ustinov was charged of dislocating a security officer’s shoulder during a rally in August that called for free and fair elections. He denied the allegation and claimed that he did not take part in the protest. Ustinov’s case caused an outrage after the court rejected a video footage that showed he did not attack the officer who dislocated his shoulder.

More than 120 people were arrested (21/09) as Black Bloc anarchists infiltrated peaceful climate protest in Paris, France, and started to throw missiles at police on the way to the Jardins de Luxembourg. At the same time, the gilets jaunes (yellow vest protesters), who have started protesting across France since November 2018, called for supporters to revive the movement that appears to have lost momentum since summer this year. 

Ten migrants thought to be Syrian nationals were arrested (22/09) at Athens airport, Greece, after posing as a volleyball team. Police believed that they were attempting to travel to Zurich using passports that did not belong to them. 

Dozens of people took part in “funeral march” (22/09) organized by the Swiss Association for Climate Protection (SACP) to mark the loss of the Pizol glacier. Located in the Glarus Alps of northeastern Switzerland, the glacier has lost at least 80% of its volume since 2006 and was declared dead at the ceremony.

LATIN AMERICA & THE CARIBBEAN

Ecuador parliament has rejected (18/09) a controversial bill to permit abortion in cases of rape, causing supporters of the bill clashed with police just outside the parliament building. Dozens of pro-choice and anti-abortion protesters gathered during the vote. The proposal has exposed divisions within the traditionally Catholic nation. While supporters of the change pointed to what they said was an epidemic of rapes of girls and underage pregnancies, those who oppose it argued on religious grounds, saying innocent lives would be at risk. The current law permits abortion only if the women who were raped suffer from mental disability or when the mother’s life is in danger.

THE UNITED STATES (U.S.) & CANADA

Following the attack on a Saudi Arabian oil field on Saturday (14/09), the President of the United States (U.S.) Donald Trump tweeted (16/09) that the country is “locked and loaded depending on verification”. Although Trump did not mention Iran in his tweet, tensions between the U.S. and Tehran have already spiked as the latter was accused of carrying out the attack by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani did not specifically reference the attack in his response, but accused the U.S. of “running a war operation by supporting the UAE (United Arab Emirates) and Saudi Arabia, transferring weapons, and providing intelligence”.

Speaking at the Capitol Building (17/09), Swedish teen climate activist Greta Thunberg scolded the U.S. Congress, “I know you’re trying, but just not hard enough. Sorry.” Thunberg proceeded with demanding the lawmakers to invite scientists to the Capitol and listen to their expertise on ways to slow a rise in global temperature. She is scheduled to testify before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday, to join the global climate strike on Friday, and to address the United Nations (U.N.) Climate Action Summit in New York next week.  

Canada’s top police official Cameron Ortis was charged (17/09) with espionage-related offenses under the Security of Information Act and two sections of Canadian Criminal Code. Ortis was also claimed to have access to secret information from both domestic and international allies. Diplomats have since scrambled to contain the fallout, whereas Prime Minister Justin Trudeau would not give any information regarding the potential impact of the case on Canada’s intelligence sharing with Five Eyes (a group consisting of Canada, the U.S., the U.K., Australia, and New Zealand). Ortis is due to appear in court Friday.

The Canadian Prime Minister faced another fallout (19/09) after Time Magazine obtained a yearbook picture of him wearing skin-darkening make-up on his face and hands in 2001—a contradiction to his progressive political brand. Trudeau admitted that he was dressing up as Aladdin at an Arabian Nights-themed gala. He expressed his regret in front of journalists after the picture surfaced, “I take responsibility for my decision to do that. I shouldn’t have done it. I should have known better. It was something that I didn't think was racist at the time, but now I recognize it was something racist to do and I am deeply sorry.” The event will no doubt make his tough fight to win the re-election next month even tougher.